The Greatest Designated Hitters of All Time

Originally by Ranker Community

7.3k votes 1.1k voters 18.8k views 55 items

List Rules Only players who were Designated Hitters for a few seasons, not a game and here and there

Who are the best all-time designated hitters? These guys are sent to the plate to hack away, and that's just what they do, time and time again. The greatest designated hitters of all time include some of the best baseball players in history. These DH players are true game changers, stepping up to the plate and giving it their all. Vote for the MLB designated hitters that you think are the best ever, vote down any you don't think deserve a spot here and rerank this list of players in any order you want. The designated hitter is perhaps one of the most specialized positions in baseball. These are the players who bat for the pitchers. Each team gets just one DH, and, interestingly enough, the DH rule was only adopted by the American League (that may change, eventually). Designated hitters, especially those on this list, are brought in to up a team's offense with more hits and (hopefully) more runs. Some of the greats listed here are among the best hitters in baseball history (Edgar Martinez, anyone?) and some players are included on this list of the best current baseball players, too.